Home Office

Asylum: North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 8 June (HL179), whether they will continue to deport North Korean asylum seekers to South Korea, as detailed in the United Kingdom-South Korea Readmission Agreement; and whether North Korean asylum seekers can claim asylum in the United Kingdom if they co-operate with the South Korean Embassy in London to establish that they do not seek South Korean citizenship.

Lord Bates: All asylum claims made by those from North Korea are carefully considered on their individual merits. A factor in that consideration will be whether the person is unable to exercise their right to South Korea citizenship and avail themselves of the protection of South Korea. Those found to be in need of international protection are provided with it. Those who have been found by the Home Office and the appeals process not to be in need of international protection and have no legal basis of stay in the UK are expected to leave. If they do not do so voluntarily they may have their removal enforced including where relevant under the terms of the United Kingdom-South Korea Readmission Agreement.

Refugees: Syria

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by the Syrian Archbishop Jean-Clement Jeanbart on the BBC Radio Four programme Sunday that European countries taking in Syrian refugees are harming Syria.

Lord Bates: The Government has been leading the way for a comprehensive and sustainable response to the conflict in Syria. The Government believes that the best way to help the majority of the many displaced Syrians across the globe is through practical and political action within affected regions. That is why the Government has prioritised humanitarian assistance in crisis regions and supports regional protection programmes which will improve the conditions for refugees seeking protection in their region of origin until they are able to return to their homes.The Government recognises, however, that not all displaced Syrians can be supported effectively in the region and that is why we have committed to granting protection to 20,000 of the most vulnerable Syrian refugees under our Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme over the course of this Parliament.The Government shares Archbishop Jean-Clement’s view that we must actively seek an end to the conflict as it is the best way to ensure that the UK’s help has the greatest impact for Syrian refugees, as opposed to larger scale relocation or resettlement.

Narendra Modi

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether restrictions were imposed on the travel of Narendra Modi; if so, whether such restrictions have been lifted; and if so, why.

Lord Bates: The Home Office do not routinely comment on individual cases. The Home Office has obligations in law to protect this information.

Gangmasters: Licensing

Baroness Suttie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to increasing the Gangmasters Licensing Authority fees for licence applications, renewal and inspection for the top two bands of businesses, in order to raise income to cover that Authority's expenditure.

Lord Bates: We are currently consulting on the future role and remit of the Gangmasters Licensing Authority, including the licensing regime and its operation. Any changes made to the GLA’s licensing regime would be undertaken in line with the principles of Managing Public Money and would be subject to Her Majesty's Treasury and Home Office Ministers’ approval.

Refugees: Visas

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been their response to calls from UNICEF for the United Kingdom to allow refugees to apply for humanitarian visas in countries of origin and transit at United Kingdom embassies.

Lord Bates: There is no provision in our Immigration Rules for someone to be given permission to travel to the UK to seek asylum or humanitarian protection and Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to extend the Immigration Rules to allow refugees to apply for humanitarian visas at any UK embassies.We are focusing our efforts on resettling vulnerable people in need of international protection from the region, including 20,000 Syrians by the end of the Parliament. This provides refugees with a direct and safe route to the UK and uses established UNHCR processes. This is of course in addition to the £1.12 billion in humanitarian aid provided by the UK for those most in need in the region – more than any other country in the world except the United States.

Ministry of Justice

Courts: Debt Collection

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Faulks on 15 October (HLWS229), how much they have spent to date on the process for procurement of a new criminal court compliance and enforcement services provider; and how much will now be written off.

Lord Faulks: As the Minister for Courts told the House on 15 October 2015, we took the decision not to outsource HMCTS compliance and enforcement services to a single supplier because of the need to ensure that any contract we let provided the best value for the taxpayer.The total cost of the Compliance and Enforcement Service Project as of end of September 2015 was £8,723,645.

Public Inquiries

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what public inquiries they have instigated into the death of a single individual since 1988; who were those individuals; why they were referred for a public inquiry in each case; and on which dates they were referred.

Lord Faulks: The table below lists each public inquiry launched by the Government to investigate the death of a single individual since 1988. It shows the purpose of the inquiry and the timing of the inquiry from its launch to publication of the inquiry report.Individual PurposeDurationStephen LawrenceTo inquire into the matters arising from his death on 22 April 1993, in order particularly to identify the lessons to be learned for the investigation and prosecution of racially motivated crimes.July 1997 – February 1999Victoria ClimbiéTo establish the circumstances leading to and surrounding her death.May 2001 – January 2003Dr David KellyTo conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.July 2003 – January 2004Zahid MubarekTo investigate his death and the events leading up to the attack on him, and make recommendations about the prevention of such attacks in the future.April 2004 – June 2006Robert HamillTo investigate whether any wrongful act or omission by or within the Royal Ulster Constabulary facilitated his death or obstructed the investigation of it, or whether attempts were made to do so; whether any such act or omission was intentional or negligent; and whether the investigation of his death was carried out with due diligence. (This followed a recommendation of the Cory Collusion Inquiry.)November 2004 – February 2011Billy WrightTo investigate whether any wrongful act or omission by or within the prison authorities or other state agencies facilitated his death, or whether attempts were made to do so; and whether any such act or omission was intentional or negligent. (This followed a recommendation of the Cory Collusion Inquiry.)November 2004 – October 2010Rosemary NelsonTo investigate whether any wrongful act or omission by or within the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Northern Ireland Office, Army or other state agency facilitated her death or obstructed the investigation of it, or whether attempts were made to do so; whether any such act or omission was intentional or negligent; and whether the investigation of her death was carried out with due diligence. (This followed a recommendation of the Cory Collusion Inquiry.)November 2004 – May 2011Baha MousaTo investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Baha Mousa, an Iraqi civilian who died in Iraq in 2003 and the treatment of others detained with him by the British armed forces.August 2008 – September 2011Bernard (Sonny) LodgeTo investigate his death at HMP Manchester in August 1998. (An ad hoc investigation began in September 2008 and was converted into a 2005 Act inquiry.)February 2009 – December 2009Azelle RodneyTo investigate the death of Azelle Rodney who was shot by a police marksman in North London on 30 April 2005.June 2010 – July 2013Alexander LitvinenkoTo investigate his death on 23 November 2006. (The inquest was converted into a 2005 Act inquiry following a judicial review.)July 2014 – present

Criminal Injuries Compensation: Offences against Children

Baroness Pinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why former foster children cannot claim for criminal injuries compensation against foster parents who have been abusive.

Lord Faulks: Former foster children can apply to the publically funded criminal injuries compensation scheme if they have suffered serious physical or mental injury as the direct result of a violent crime. Awards made under the scheme are paid for by tax payers and not the perpetrator of the violent crime.If former foster parents were convicted of an offence that resulted in personal injury, loss or damage, when sentencing the court would consider making an order for compensation in favour of the victim which would be paid by the perpetrators.

Criminal Injuries Compensation: Offences against Children

Baroness Pinnock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance they give to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board about best practice with respect to keeping open indefinitely cases relating to claimants who allege that they have been abused as children.

Lord Faulks: The criminal injuries compensation scheme recognises that children who have suffered injuries as a result of crime may require greater support in making an application for compensation. The scheme allows those injured as children to make an application up to their 20th birthday, or if the crime was reported after their 18th birthday a period of 2 years from that report in which to do so, providing the applicant includes supporting evidence which allows the case to be concluded without further extensive enquiries. These periods may be extended in exceptional circumstances, also subject to sufficient supporting evidence in respect of the claim being provided.In addition, an applicant can also apply at any point to have their case medically reopened, should their condition change to such an extent that it would be unjust not to make a further award. A request to medically reopen the case should be made within 2 years of the case being finalised, but can be considered after this time, providing the applicant includes supporting evidence which allows the case to be concluded without further extensive enquiries.This Government is committed to supporting victims of sexual abuse. As part of this the Ministry of Justice has instructed the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to abide by an embargo on the destruction of files to ensure retention of anything that might be of relevance to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Prisoners: Gender Recognition

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what rules they have put in place to ensure that transgender persons are placed in prisons that are appropriate for them based on their gender identity.

Lord Faulks: Prison Service Instruction 07/2011 sets out NOMS policy on the care and management of prisoners who live or propose to live in a gender other than the one assigned at birth. Prisoners are normally placed according to their legally recognised gender. However, the guidelines allow room for discretion and senior prison staff will review the circumstances of every case in consultation with medical and other experts in order to protect the physical and emotional wellbeing of the person concerned along with the safety and wellbeing of other prisoners.A review of the current policy on transgender and transsexual prisoners began earlier this year and revised policy guidance will be issued to reflect NOMS' responsibilties to transgender offenders in the community as well as in custody. The intention is to implement the guidance early in the New Year.

Coroners

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government under what circumstances a coroner's investigation and court hearing is not necessary in the case of a sudden death.

Lord Faulks: Sudden deaths are always investigated by coroners in England and Wales.Under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 the coroner has a duty to investigate a death that is reported to him or her if it appears that the death was violent or unnatural, the cause of the death is unknown, or the person died in state detention. If the investigation does not disclose the cause of death, indicates that the death was unnatural, or the coroner considers that there is good reason to continue the investigation, he or she has a duty to hold an inquest.Where someone is to be prosecuted for causing a death, the coroner’s investigation must be suspended and any inquest adjourned, until the criminal trial is over. The coroner may only resume the investigation after the trial if he or she considers there is sufficient reason for doing so. The coroner must also suspend an investigation where an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 is to be held into the death. Again, the coroner may only resume the investigation after the inquiry has reported if he or she considers there is sufficient reason for doing so.

Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish their response to the report of the coroner David Hinchcliff, Inquests Touching the deaths of Christianne Shepherd and Robert Shepherd(Deceased), published on 18 September.

Lord Faulks: The decision whether or not to publish any responses is a matter for the Chief Coroner.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

India: British Nationals Abroad

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to raise with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi the case of three British citizens murdered in Gujarat in 2002 when he visits the United Kingdom in November.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs , my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), has previously raised this case with Prime Minister Modi in his former role as Chief Minister of Gujarat. We continue to raise consular matters with the Indian authorities at all levels. Our officials have provided consular support to the families since 2002 and will continue to provide assistance to them as needed.

EU Immigration

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether an invitation was extended to the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina to participate in the European Union leaders’ meeting of 25 October to discuss the Western Balkans migratory route, and whether it is their policy that the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina should be invited to participate in future EU meetings on this subject.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The decision on which parties attended the Summit on 25 October to discuss the refugee flows along the Western Balkans route was taken by Commission President Juncker. The British Government supports the inclusion of affected countries in such meetings and considers it important that decisions which affect all Member States are taken by all 28 Member States.

Department of Health

Air Pollution: Lambeth

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the impact of air pollution on the lung function of children in the London Borough of Lambeth.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Public Health England has not made any estimate of the impact of air pollution on the lung function of children in the London Borough of Lambeth.

Cancer: Meat Products

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the World Health Organization research showing that eating processed meat increases the risk of cancer.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The World Health Organization published its conclusions on the carcinogenicity of eating red and processed meat on 26 October. The detailed evaluations will be published in the future; until these are available, we cannot assess them in detail.

Health Hazards: Meat Products

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they are giving to consumers about the health risks of eating processed meat.

Lord Prior of Brampton: Public Health England’s advice is that, on average, people should be eating no more than 70 grammes of red and processed meat a day. People who eat a lot of these meats are at higher risk of bowel cancer than those who eat small amounts. Therefore, people who eat more than 90 grammes of red or processed meat a day are advised to cut down.

Salt

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last reviewed the evidence base relating to dietary sodium intake as part of a balanced diet.

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to new evidence suggesting that their current campaign to reduce salt intake could be too generalised.

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the potential negative effects of restricting dietary sodium intake.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The evidence base relating to dietary sodium intake was extensively reviewed in the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s (SACN) report ‘Salt and Health’, published in 2003. In reviewing the evidence, SACN noted that the greatest benefits were likely to be achieved by taking a population approach to reducing salt intakes rather than through individual targeted advice.The SACN continues to monitor average salt intakes through a programme of dietary survey work.New voluntary salt reduction targets have been developed for 76 specific food groups that contribute most to people’s salt intakes and major retailers, manufacturers and caterers are working to meet these targets by December 2017.The SACN has also reviewed the evidence around the impact of low sodium intakes. It found no basis for changing the existing recommendation for a target reduction in average salt intake to 6 grammes per day for the adult population, equivalent to 2.4 grammes per day of sodium.The SACN ‘Salt and Health’ report is attached and can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-salt-and-health-report



Salt and Health
(PDF Document, 354.33 KB)

Ministry of Defence

Syria: Military Intervention

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in what circumstances they would consider using British military assets to prevent President Assad from using barrel bombs against civilians in Syria.

Earl Howe: We have repeatedly demanded that Assad ceases the use of barrel bombs and called on his allies, Russia and Iran, to apply pressure to that end. Ultimately, a negotiated political transition is the only way to end the conflict and alleviate Syria's humanitarian crisis. Any decision to commit UK military assets in order to prevent Assad's use of these indiscriminate weapons would be subject to appropriate legal consideration, close consultation with allies and the endorsement of the House of Commons.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the numerical strength of the moderate forces fighting against President Assad in Syria.

Earl Howe: Estimating the numerical strength of armed groups in Syria is challenging given the lack of data, the fluidity of the situation on the ground, and the multiplicity of groups. Nevertheless, we estimate that fighters loyal to the Free Syrian Army, which has close links to the Syrian National Coalition, which is the heart of the political opposition, run into tens of thousands.